Perception is Cultural – An Ode to Moss
Moss proves that a plant’s cultural value can be surprisingly arbitrary and detached from ecological merit.
Worthless Seeds
Nobody seemed to understand my fascination with road verges as remarkably resilient ecosystems.
Tending a vision
The otherness of Japanese gardens has something to do with the way they are tended.
Pavement-gardens
The crammed grid of houses in the middle of Kyoto left no space for gardens. But there were plants – in pots.
Plants against walls
Before our trip to Japan I had not expected urban streets to hold particular horticultural interest.
The magnolia
For the past seven years the magnolia has been our borrowed landscape, a generous gift from neighbours.
Early morning at Ryoan-ji
It is very quiet. Nothing moves. The precision of this highly fragile arrangement is breathtaking.
High Beeches is different
There are no prescribed routes to follow, no obviously engineered views.
Travelling to the gardens of Japan
I had been fascinated – and mystified – by Japanese gardens for as long as I could remember.
Sibylle’s stylish oasis
All foliage looks like it has been meticulously painted with a very fine brush.
Wildflower-Meadow-Magic
With the added intrigue of the unexpectedly tall meadow, my garden seemed otherworldly.
Lockdown seeds
What exactly was happening during the first lockdown? People had started gardening.
Attempting to create diversity
I decided this grass mono-culture was where I would try to make a difference as a gardener.
Thomas and his houseplants
“There must be some reason why we think a real flower is more positive than a plastic flower.”
How I found my own garden
In front of me was a meadow surrounded by old brick walls – in the middle of the city.
A garden in a hundred pots
Their small outdoor space does not limit their passion for plants – on the contrary.